Electrical connection assembly



Feb. 20, 1962 E. R. THOMPSON, JR

ELECTRICAL CONNECTION ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 5, 1958 INVENTOR.

EARL E. THOMPSOM JR.

This invention relates to electrical connections of the axially matingtype and more particularly to a design for a connector adapted to beoperative through a bulkhead and having special utility in the field ofelectrical controls for high performance aircraft wherein particularlyhigh temperature resistance and moisture-proofing requirements arepresent.

In control systems for modern high performance aircraft, particularlyfor military service, it is well known that electrical equipmentemployed must meet very rigid specifications as to ability to functionat high operating temperatures and as to resistance to penetration bymoisture. Because of these requirements, it has been found desirable tocompletely enclose all electrical junctions, Wherever possible, in aninsulating potting compound to insure that the wiring is kept free from.moisture. Where an electrical connection is effected through a port ina.v

wall or bulkhead it has sometimes happened that damage to either theconnector or the electrical assembly requires that the wires be cut inorder to remove the assembly from the wall to effect repairs orreplacement, thus destroying the moisture-proof integrity ofthe wiringand requiring that the assembly be reWired and repotted. Sometimes ithas been desired to separate a plate forming part of the bulkhead towhich the connector has been fastened from the electrical assembly. Thisalso has required cutting of the wires with connectors previously inuse. The connectors which have been used are a standard box type inwhich an insulating member is molded in such a way as to hold aplurality of connecting pins in a desired spaced relationship and saidinsulating member is held inside a flanged cylindrical connecting memberwhich is bolted to the outside of a wall or bulkhead leaving aprojecting threaded cylindrical portion for protecting the connectingpins and for engagement with a mating connector. Wires are then solderedto the connecting pins on the inside of the bulkhead and theseconnections are completely enclosed by potting material. With this typeof connector it has been found that the protruding threaded members areoften damaged in service and this damage presents the same problem asset forth above where the connections on the back part of the connectorare all enclosed with potting compound and neither the connector nor theelectrical assembly can be pulled through the port. It is, therefore, anobject of the present invention to provide an electrical connector ofthe type described in which the electrical connections may be enclosedin potting material and the connector may be removed from the wall orbulkhead to which it is attached without the necessity for destroyingthe moisture-tight integrity of the wiring.

It is another object of the present invention to provide an electricalconnector of the type described in which the electrical connections maybe enclosed in potting material and the threaded member which protectsthe connecting pins may be replaced without the necessity for cuttingwires or otherwise destroying the moisture-tight integrity of thewiring.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the followingspecification taken in connection with the following drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a connector incorporatingmy invention;

FIGURE 2 is an end view of the connector of FIGURE ire; States atentO 1as seen from the outside of the bulkhead to which it is attached; and

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of the device of FIG- URES l and 2 taken online 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

In FIGURE 1 my connector is shown attached to a Wall or bulkhead 10.This connector provides communication between an electrical assembly(not shown) connected to a plurality of wires 12 and a correspondingnumber of connector pins which are adapted to engage a mating connectoron the Opposite side of wall 10. The wires 12 are assembled in anintegral unit with a flanged cylindrical member 14 which is insertedinto a hole or port 16 in wall 10. On the opposite side of Wall 10 asecond flanged cylindrical member 18 is also fastened to wall 10 and hasa shoulder 20 which is inserted into port 16 in axial alignment with thecylindrical portion of flanged member 14. Flanged member 18 includes athreaded cylindrical portion 22 adapted to receive a threaded collar 24from a mating connector 26. Mating connector 26 includes a plurality ofreceptacles 28 for receiving the connecting pins which project into thehollow interior of flanged member 22 (see FIGURE 3). 7

FIGURE 2 shows an end view of a connector of FIG- URE l as seen from theoutside of the wall 10. The threaded cylindrical portion 22 is shown asis the flange 18 which contains a plurality of mounting bolts or screws32 for attaching the member 18 to the bulkhead. Visible in the hollowinterior of the threaded portion 22 are a plurality of connecting pins34 which are molded in a cylindrical insulating member 36. In FIGURE 3the electrical connections through the entire assembly are shown insomewhat greater detail in that the wires 12 are shown soldered orotherwise fastened to a plurality of lugs 38 on the top or back side ofthe connecting pins 34. These pins extend axially through the port 16and are held in spaced relation by means of the cylindrical insulatingmember 36 which is potted together with flanged member 14 and theconnections with lugs 38 and the wires 12 to form a unitarymoisture-proof assembly. As shown, the connections with lugs 38 areentirely enclosed by means of an insulating member 40 consisting ofpotting compound. The potting compound also extends into the annularspace 42 between members 36 and 14 to effect a seal. On the oppositeside of wall or bulkhead 10 the flanged member 18 is shown connected towall 10 by means of bolts 32 threadedly engaged with member 10 throughholes drilled therein for this purpose. Flanged member 14 is alsofastened to member 10 by means of a plurality of bolts 44 shown in axialalignment with bolts or screws 32. The seal between members 14 and 18and the wall or bulkhead 10 is insured by means of a pair of gaskets 46and 48.

From the foregoing, it will be appreciated that a number of operationsmay be performed with this type of connector which would have been verydifiicult or impossible with other types of connectors. For instance,should the threaded flanged member 18 become damaged in service, it maybe replaced by the simple removal of the bolts 32. Should it be decidedthat the electrical assembly connected to wires 12 must be separatedfrom the Wall or bulkhead 10 this may be done by removal of bolts 44which will free the entire assembly consisting of wires 12, flangedmember 14, insulating member 36 and pins 34 and the enclosing pottingmaterial 40 without fear of damaging any electrical insulation. Atypical installation utilizing this type of connector might involve atorque motor which is positioned within a housing of which member 10 isa removable part. Should it be desired to remove the torque motorassembly and replace it with another or place it in another housingseparate from the member 10, this can be easily effected as set forthabove.

While only a single embodiment is shown and described herein,modification may be made to suit the requirements of particularapplications.

I claim:

1. An electrical connector for fastening to a bulkhead comprising afirst flanged cylindrical member having holes in the flange thereof forreceiving a plurality of fastening devices for attaching said member toone side of said bulkhead, a cylindrical insulating member positionedwithin the interior of said first flanged member having a plurality ofconnecting pins positioned in spaced relation therein and projectingfrom one end of said member to receive connecting wires and from theopposite end for axial engagement with a mating connector, a molded capenclosing said one end of said cylindrical insulating memher and theconnections between said pins and said wires in a moisture-proofassembly and also providing a moisture-proof seal between said firstflanged member and said cylindrical insulating member, a second flangedcylindrical member having holes in the flange thereof for receiving aplurality of fastening devices for attaching said second flangedcylindrical member to the opposite side of said bulkhead in axialalignment with said first flanged memher and having threads on thecylindrical portion thereof for engagement with said mating connector,and sealing means positioned between said flanges and said bulkhead.

2. An electrical connector adapted to be secured through a port in abulkhead including a first part for fastening to one side of saidbulkhead and a second part for fastening to the other side of saidbulkhead; said first part including a flan ed member having acylindrical portion extending into said port, a cylindrical insulatingmember carrying a plurality of connecting pins in spaced relationtherein and projecting from each end thereof, a

plurality of wires having connections with said pins on one end of saidinsulating member, said connections and said insulating member beingpotted together with said flanged member to form a unitary,moisture-proof assembly; and said second part including a flangedcylindrical tember surrounding said pins on the other end of saidinsulating member and having threads on the cylindrical portion thereoffor engagement with a mating connector; and fastening means forattaching said flanged members to opposite sides of said bulkhead.

3. An electrical connector adapted to be secured through a port in abulkhead including a first part for fastening to one side of thebulkhead and a second part for fastening to the other side of saidbulkhead; said first part including a first flanged member having acylindrical portion extending into said port, a connecting pinpositioned within the interior of said cylindrical portion and aninsulating member for spacing said pin from said flanged member, a wirehaving a connection with said pin, said connection, insulating memberand flanged member being potted together to form a unitary sealedassembly; and said second part including a second flanged cylindricalmember having a shoulder extending into said port in axial alignmentwith said cylindrical portion of said first flanged member and havingmeans for engagement with a mating connector on the part of itscylindrical portion which projects outside of said port.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,443,654 Else et a1 June 22, 1948 2,652,445 Simpson Sept. 15, 19532,750,436 Richter June 12, 1956

